Asbestos Surveys and Management

If you are a builder, land owner or developer needing site remediation done where asbestos is, or may be present; or if you need to demolish buildings where asbestos may be present, it's in your best interest to call Atma Environmental before you do any demolition. Here's why:

From a legal liability and a site remediation cost-control perspective, its critically important to land owners that any demolition of buildings where asbestos may be present is properly managed, to prevent exposure to airborne asbestos fibres, and to prevent unnecessay further contamination of your site with asbestos, particulary in soil, through lax or negligent demolition control tandards.

We will ensure your site is managed to meet all your legal requirements and ensure no cross-contamination of otherwise clean soils occurs, so that your site remediation costs are managed as cost-effectively as possible.

Please understand, the proper removal of installed asbestos or asbestos litter is cheap in comparison to the removal of asbestos-contaminated soils, which is extremely expensive.

That's why we encourage any client with asbestos contamination on their site to allow us to manage all aspects of asbestos removal and site demolition, so we can preventunnecessary soil contamination happening during demolition and save you money.

Don’t risk asbestos in soil contamination by contractors who are mainly concerned with demolition and have no regard or knowledge of the consequences of their job not being done to the relevant environmental standards. If this happens on your site and asbestos demolition is not done properly, it can add tens, or even worse, hundreds of thousands of dollars to your site remediation costs.

Asbestos Site Surveys

In accordance with the 2013 amended NEPM, Atma Environmental makes preliminary observations on the occurrence of on-site asbestos as part of its standard PSI methodology. Where site development requires demolition of buildings, Atma Environmental will also manage more detailed surveys as required under occupational health and safety regulations. The objective of an asbestos survey is to identify asbestos on site and to make a 'materials assessment', i.e.

To find asbestos contaminated material and record what it is, where it is and how much of it there is;

To record how accessible it is, its condition, and any surface treatment; and

To record the asbestos type, by sampling or by presuming.

Asbestos surveys involve a combination of visual inspection of the accessible areas of the site and the collection of materials suspected of containing asbestos. The suspected asbestos samples are then analysed to identify if asbestos is present in the material. The results of the asbestos survey are tabulated in a register which can be used to tender costs for asbestos removal and demolition works, or to manage the associated risks.

Where assessing asbestos impacts in soils you will need a specialist like Atma Environmental. The detailed requirements are set out in the 2013 NEPM. Site investigations for asbestos-in-soil contamination require a comprehensive understanding of how and what exactly it is the analytical laboratory is reporting, what the relevant Australian Standards mean, what the options for treating or managing asbestos-contaminated soils are, the limitations of ‘clearance certificates’, how the NEPM operates, and why public communications cannot be overlooked.

Site remediation work involving asbestos soil has additional levels of complexity due to the WorkSafe, waste handling and labour hire requirements specifically imposed by asbestos. Atma Environmental has a solid c.v. of successful projects in this area.

Demolition of Asbestos Containing Structures

Atma Environmental can project manage any required demolition works as part of any overall site remediation works that need to be done, along with other items such as fuel tank decommissioning. Any fixed or installed asbestos that may be disturbed by demolition work must be removed safely before demolition commences. We will ensure that:

Nobody will be harmed by working on asbestos contaminated material on site;

Such work will be done by the right contractor and will comply with all legislative requirements.

No cross-contamination into soils, or other parts of the site, occurs.

If you are wanting site assessment or remediation completed where asbestos is, or may be, present,call Atma Environmental now on +61-3-9429 6955.

We will ensure your site is managed in a way that meet all legal requirements and ensure no cross contamination of otherwise clean soils, so your site remediation costs are managed as cost-effectively as possible.